Zias head to LSC tourney

Staff report

Eastern New Mexico University will have teams competing in Lone Star Conference meets this weekend in women’s soccer and men’s and women’s cross country.

The four-team LSC women’s soccer meet begins today at Commerce, Texas, with the championship match scheduled for noon (MST) on Sunday.

The league cross country competition is scheduled for Saturday at Wichita Falls, Texas. Semifinals in women’s soccer begin with third-seeded ENMU (9-7, 6-4 LSC) taking on second-seeded Angelo State (13-3-1, 6-3-1) at 4 p.m. (MST), with top-seeded Texas A&M-Commerce (13-5, 7-3) meeting No. 4 Midwestern State (8-5-5, 3-5-2) in the second contest.

ASU enters the tournament ranked No. 20 in NCAA Division II, finishing the season on a four-match winning streak after having dropped three in a row. The Zias split their meetings with Angelo this season, winning 2-0 at home and losing 2-1 on the road.

ENMU also split with Midwestern State while losing both outings against Commerce, including Sunday’s 1-0 decision at the ENMU pitch which gave the Lions the regular-season league title. On Thursday night, the LSC announced its all-conference women’s soccer selections at a pre-tournament banquet at Commerce.

ENMU was represented on the first time by senior defender Renee Romero of Albuquerque and senior midfielder Alyssa Prince of Las Cruces, while senior defender Victoria Perez of Rio Rancho was chosen to the second team.

Romero shared defensive player of the year honors with Angelo’s Ashley Exford. Midwestern State will host the cross country meet. West Texas A&M is the defending champion on both sides, having swept last year’s event at Greyhound Stadium.

Saturday’s eight-kilometer men’s race is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. (MST), with the 6K women’s event starting an hour later.